Head-disk interaction sensor integrated with suspension
A write-inhibit signal is generated by a head-disk interaction sensor during a write process that is integrated with a suspension of a hard disk drive (HDD) when fly-height modulation of the slider is detected during a write process The suspension load beam includes a dimple and a laminated flexure. The laminated flexure includes a surface that is adapted to receive a slider and a surface that is adapted to contact the dimple. The head-disk interaction sensor is fabricated as part of the laminations of the flexure. The head-disk interaction sensor can be an accelerometer that senses an acceleration of the flexure when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive and/or a pressure sensor that senses a pressure between the flexure and the dimple when the slider contacts the disk. A write-inhibit circuit is responsive to the sensor signal by inhibiting the write process.
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The present application is related to co-pending, co-assigned and concurrently filed patent application Ser. No. 10/664,296, entitled “Disk Drive With Head-Disk Interaction Sensor Integrated With Suspension,” which is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sensor system for improving write operations for a hard disk drive (HDD).
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional approaches for minimizing slider modulation include minimization of head-disk interaction by, for example, reducing the take-off height of a disk, reducing the number of particles, and using less mobile lubricant on the disk. These approaches, however, will reach their respective limits for minimizing head-disk interaction as slider fly-height is further reduced.
Consequently, what is needed is a technique for detecting slider fly-height modulation during a write process. Further, what is needed is a technique for inhibiting a write operation when slider fly-height modulation is detected.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a technique for detecting slider fly-height modulation during a write process. Additionally, the present invention provides a technique for inhibiting a write operation when slider fly-height modulation is detected.
The advantages of the present invention are provided by a suspension for a disk drive having a suspension load beam having a dimple and a laminated flexure. The laminated flexure is coupled to the suspension load beam and has a surface that is adapted to receive a slider and a surface that is adapted to contact the dimple. According to the invention, the flexure includes a head-disk interaction sensor that outputs a sensor signal when the slider contacts a disk of the disk drive. One embodiment of the head-disk interaction sensor is an accelerometer that senses an acceleration of the flexure that is generated by the slider contacting the disk of the disk drive. The accelerometer includes a piezoelectric material layer and a conductive material layer that are each formed as a layer of the laminated flexure and are each patterned to substantially correspond to a top surface of a back portion of the slider.
An alternative or an additional embodiment of the head-disk interaction sensor is a pressure sensor that senses a pressure between the flexure and the dimple that is generated by the slider contacting the disk of the disk drive. One configuration of the pressure sensor includes a piezoelectric material layer and a conductive material layer that are each formed as a layer of the laminated flexure and each are patterned to substantially correspond to a surface region of the flexure corresponding to the dimple. One pattern is substantially a square shape. An alternative pattern is a substantially circular shape. The piezoelectric material layer generates a voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive that corresponds to a magnitude of a force with which the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive.
An alternative configuration of the accelerometer includes a piezoelectric material layer and a conductive material layer that are each formed as a layer of the laminated flexure and are each patterned to form a first region and a second region. The first and second regions respectively correspond to a front portion and a back portion of the slider and respectively corresponding to first and second surface regions of the surface of the flexure adapted to contact the dimple. The first region of the piezoelectric material layer generates a first voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the first region of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive. Similarly, the second region of the piezoelectric material layer generates a second voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the second region of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive. The first and second voltages respectively generated between the top portions and the bottom portions of the first and second regions of the piezoelectric material layer each correspond to a magnitude of a force with which the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive. A pitch mode of the slider can be determined based on a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage. Additionally, a first bending mode of a body of the slider body can be determined based on a sum of the first and second voltages.
The suspension of the present invention further includes a write-inhibit circuit that is responsive to the sensor signal by inhibiting a write operation of the disk drive. The write-inhibit circuit includes a filter circuit that condition the sensor signal. One embodiment of the filter circuit is a low-pass filter having a passband that is greater than about 20 kHz. Another embodiment of the filter circuit is a high-pass filter having a passband that is less than about 2 MHz. Yet another embodiment of the filter circuit is a bandpass filter having a passband between about 20 kHz and about 2 MHz. Further, the filter circuit can be a bandpass filter having a passband corresponding to about a pitch frequency of the slider. For example, the filter circuit can have a narrow passband at about 200 kHz. Further still, the filter circuit can be a bandpass filter having a passband corresponding to about a bending mode frequency of a body of the slider. For example, the filter circuit can have a narrow passband at about 1.6 MHz. Alternatively, the filter circuit can be a passband filter having a passband that includes about 200 kHz and about 1.6 MHz.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not by limitation in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:
The present invention detects head-disk interaction in an HDD by using at least one sensor that is integrated with suspension. Slider motion caused by Head-Disk Interference (HDI) is detected by using a force (or pressure) sensor for monitoring the force (or pressure) between the back of the slider and the suspension dimple, and/or by using an accelerometer for measuring the acceleration of the slider. Both the pressure sensor and the acceleration sensor are integrated with a suspension having a laminated flexure.
The signal output from the sensors includes both air-flow-related noise and write-current-related noise. Noise that is caused by air-flow typically has a very low frequency component, i.e., less than 20 kHz. Noise that is caused by write current typically has a very high frequency, i.e., greater than 2 Mhz. Accordingly, the present invention passes the frequency component at the pitch mode frequency of the slider at approximately 200 kHz, and at the first bending mode frequency of the slider body at approximately 1.7 MHz, while removing low-frequency noise caused by air flow and high-frequency noise caused by write current.
Tables 1-3 below respectively set forth simulation results of the expected acceleration of the R/W element of a slider and the expected force applied to a dimple of a suspension for soft, medium-soft and hard asperities on a disk
Simulated acceleration at the R/W element is calculated to be between 8,000 to 30,000 m/s2 (or 800-3000 G). The simulated force applied to a dimple is calculated to be between 0.22 mN to 0.6 mN.
Piezoelectric material layer 209 and the first and second conductive material layers 208 and 210 (not shown in FIG. 2B), which are formed on both sides of piezoelectric material layer 209, are patterned so that these three layers correspond to only the top of the trailing edge of slider 201 (i.e., the R/W element end of slider 201). When HDI occurs and a force 212 is applied to the trailing edge of slider 201, slider 201 typically moves in a pitch direction, as indicated by arrows 213 and 214. The resulting acceleration compresses piezoelectric material layer 209 caused by the inertia and rigidity of metal layer 206. When piezoelectric material layer 209 is compressed, a voltage difference of a few millivolts is generated across piezoelectric material layer 209, as depicted by voltage V. The voltage difference is easily detected using a well-known voltage detection technique. By monitoring the voltage generated across piezoelectric material layer 209, the acceleration imparted to slider 201 by HDI can be determined. Detection accuracy can be further improved by adding a low-pass and/or high-pass, and/or peak filter between the output of piezoelectric material layer 209 and the voltage detection device. The best center frequency for a peak filter is at the pitch frequency of the slider.
Piezoelectric material layer 309 and the first and second conductive material layers 308 and 310 (not shown in FIG. 3B), which are formed on both sides of piezoelectric material layer 309, are patterned so that these three layers exist around dimple contact region 314.
Flexure includes a metal layer 406 that is formed from, for example, stainless steel. A first insulative material layer 407 is formed on metal layer 406 using a well-known technique and is formed from, for example, polyimide. A first conductive material layer 408 is formed on first insulative layer 407 using a well-known technique and is formed from, for example, copper. A piezoelectric material layer 409, such as PVDF, is formed on first conductive material layer 408 as a film using a well-known technique. A second conductive material layer 410 is formed on piezoelectric layer 409 using a well-known technique and is formed from, for example, copper. A second insulative layer 411 is formed on second conductive layer 410 using a well-known technique and is formed from, for example, polyimide. After flexure 402 is attached to suspension load beam 403, slider 401 is glued to flexure 402 and integrated accelerometer 405.
Piezoelectric material layer 409 and the first and second conductive material layers 408 and 410 (not shown in
Flexure 502 includes a metal layer 506 that is formed from, for example, stainless steel. A first insulative material layer 507 is formed on metal layer 506 using a well-known technique. First insulative layer 507 is formed from, for example, polyimide. A first conductive layer 508 is formed on first insulative layer 507 and is formed from, for example, polyimide. Piezoelectric material layer 509 is formed on first conductive material layer 508. Piezoelectric material layer 509 is formed as a film from, for example, PVDF, using a well-known technique. Two second conductive material layers 510a and 510b are formed on piezoelectric material layer 509 using a well-known technique and are formed from, for example, copper. Second conductive material layers 510a and 510b are patterned to be separate, as shown in
The first and second conductive material layers 510a and 510b are patterned so that they respectively correspond to the front and back sides of the top side of slider 501 around dimple contact region 514, as shown in FIG. 5B. Additionally or alternatively, piezoelectric material layer 508 can be patterned as shown in FIG. 5B. Second conductive material layer 510 can also be patterned as shown in FIG. 5B. When piezoelectric material layer 508 is patterned as shown in
When there is a head-disk interaction event, slider 601 physically vibrates in a vertical direction. HDI sensor 605, which has been integrated with flexure 602, detects the vibration and generates a corresponding sensor signal 606. The vibration mode of slider 601 can be either a single impulse when, for example, slider 601 contacts a hard asperity, or a periodic oscillation at the pitch frequency of slider 601 when, for example, when slider 601 makes contact with the disk (not shown in
After the sensor signal has been conditioned by filter circuit 608, the signal amplitude is input to a comparator circuit 609. Comparator circuit 609 compares the conditioned sensor signal with a predetermined threshold value 610. When the amplitude of the conditioned sensor signal is greater than threshold value 610, comparator circuit 609 generates a write inhibit signal 611. When an HDD controller 612 (or a read/write channel that controls the write process) receives write-inhibit signal 611, HDD controller 612 immediately stops the write current that is being output to the magnetic head (not shown in
Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced that are within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A suspension for a disk drive, comprising:
- a suspension load beam having a dimple; and
- a laminated flexure coupled to the suspension load beam, the flexure having a surface adapted to receive a slider and a surface adapted to contact the dimple, the flexure including a head-disk interaction sensor outputting a sensor signal when the slider contacts a disk of the disk drive.
2. The suspension according to claim 1, wherein the head-disk interaction sensor is an accelerometer sensing an acceleration of the flexure generated by the slider contacting the disk of the disk drive.
3. The suspension according to claim 2, wherein the head-disk interaction sensor further includes a pressure sensor sensing a pressure between the flexure and the dimple generated by the slider contacting the disk of the disk drive.
4. The suspension according to claim 2, wherein the accelerometer includes a piezoelectric material layer and a conductive material layer, the piezoelectric material layer and the conductive material layer each being formed as a layer of the laminated flexure and each being patterned to substantially correspond to a top surface of a back portion of the slider.
5. The suspension according to claim 1 wherein the head-disk interaction sensor is a pressure sensor sensing a pressure between the flexure and the dimple generated by the slider contacting the disk of the disk drive.
6. The suspension according to claim 5, wherein the pressure sensor includes a piezoelectric material layer and a conductive material layer, the piezoelectric material layer and the conductive material layer each being formed as a layer of the laminated flexure and each being patterned to substantially correspond to a surface region of the flexure corresponding to the dimple.
7. The suspension according to claim 6, wherein the piezoelectric material layer generates a voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive, the voltage generated between the top portion and the bottom portion of the piezoelectric material layer corresponding to a magnitude of a force with which the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive.
8. The suspension according to claim 6, wherein the piezoelectric material layer and the conductive material layer are patterned to be a substantially square shape.
9. The suspension according to claim 6, wherein the piezoelectric material layer and the conductive material layer are patterned to be a substantially circular shape.
10. The suspension according to claim 5, wherein the pressure sensor includes a piezoelectric material layer and a conductive material layer that are each formed as a layer of the laminated flexure, the piezoelectric material layer and the conductive material layer each being patterned to form a first region and a second region, the first and second regions respectively corresponding to a front portion and a back portion of the slider and respectively corresponding to first and second surface regions of the surface of the flexure adapted to contact the dimple.
11. The suspension according to claim 10, wherein the first region of the piezoelectric material layer generates a first voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the first region of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive, the second region of the piezoelectric material layer generates a second voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the second region of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive, the first and second voltages respectively generated between the top portions and the bottom portions of the first and second regions of the piezoelectric material layer each corresponding to a magnitude of a force with which the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive, and
- wherein a pitch mode of the slider is determined based on a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage.
12. The suspension according to claim 10, wherein the first region of the piezoelectric material layer generates a first voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the first region of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive, the second region of the piezoelectric material layer generates a second voltage between a top portion and a bottom portion of the second region of the piezoelectric material layer when the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive, the first and second voltages respectively generated between the top portions and the bottom portions of the first and second regions of the piezoelectric material layer each corresponding to a magnitude of a force with which the slider contacts the disk of the disk drive, and
- wherein a first bending mode of a body of the slider body can be determined based on a sum of the first and second voltages.
13. The suspension according to claim 1, further comprising a write-inhibit circuit responsive to the sensor signal by inhibiting a write operation of the disk drive.
14. The suspension according claim 13, wherein the write-inhibit circuit includes a filter circuit conditioning the sensor signal.
15. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a low-pass filter having a passband that is greater than about 20 kHz.
16. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a high-pass filter having a passband that is less than about 2 MHz.
17. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a bandpass filter having a passband between about 20 kHz and about 2 MHz.
18. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a bandpass filter having a passband corresponding to about a pitch frequency of the slider.
19. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a passband filter having a narrow passband at about 200 kHz.
20. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a bandpass filter having a passband corresponding to about a bending mode frequency of a body of the slider.
21. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a passband filter having a narrow passband at about 1.6 MHz.
22. The suspension according to claim 14, wherein the filter circuit is a passband filter having a passband that includes about 200 kHz and about 1.6 MHz.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Sep 17, 2003
Date of Patent: Oct 25, 2005
Patent Publication Number: 20050057833
Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V. (Amsterdam)
Inventors: Toshiki Hirano (San Jose, CA), Ullal Vasant Nayak (San Jose, CA), Qinghua Zeng (San Jose, CA)
Primary Examiner: David Hudspeth
Assistant Examiner: Natalia Figueroa
Attorney: Joseph P. Curtin
Application Number: 10/664,295